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  • Solar system seems to be less efficient.

    Hi Everyone. I have a 3kw solar system installed in 2010. It used to produce around 19kwh per day on average for quite a few years. Now it seems to be averaging only 11kwh per day. Do solar panels degrade over time and if so what is the expected life span? Are new panels more efficient than the old type panels? Are my sunnyboy inverters the problem? Should I be replacing my panels or inverters? Cheers Jon

  • #2
    Originally posted by Beanyboy57 View Post
    Hi Everyone. I have a 3kw solar system installed in 2010. It used to produce around 19kwh per day on average for quite a few years. Now it seems to be averaging only 11kwh per day. Do solar panels degrade over time and if so what is the expected life span? Are new panels more efficient than the old type panels? Are my sunnyboy inverters the problem? Should I be replacing my panels or inverters? Cheers Jon
    I'd first get the situation diagnosed.

    Since the system is probably still under warranty, what does the installer or mfg. have to say ? If you did not contact who sold or manufactured the equipment, why not ? Someone needs to be on site to figure out what's going on. That probably eliminates most anyone reading your post.

    FWIW, panels see, to degrade over time and gradually. A complete panel failure, while somewhat unlikely, is possible and might knock out most of an entire string. The inverter is getting closer to it's likely service life, but would probably be more likely to fail altogether. Anyone fooling around near the array ? Wiring get messed with ? any lightening ?

    I'd call for service.

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    • #3
      It could be something as simple as trees growing. My original array which is around 15 years old had a good sun window but a couple of trees to the SE and SW have grown and give me more seasonal shading. Yes panels do degrade. The panel guarantee should have yearly value. Its in the order of 1% a year so that is probably not what is causing a big jump.

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